1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, to a device and method for inputting recipe data in a microwave oven by which the recipe data such as names and contents of recipes for the microwave oven desired by a user can be stored so that cooking can be simply made upon repetitive cooking of dishes corresponding to the recipe data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a microwave oven is a cooking machine for cooking foodstuffs by causing microwaves outputted from a magnetron to penetrate into the foodstuffs. When a user utilizes such a microwave oven, the user selects a dish menu and a cooking period of time by manipulating keys provided in a key input section of the microwave oven and presses a cooking start key. Then, the magnetron is driven according to the dish menu inputted by the user so as to perform a cooking process by irradiating the high-frequency microwaves into a cooking chamber.
Further, when the user selects a grill function or convection function, a heater of the microwave oven is driven. The heat generated from the heater is forcedly circulated by an interior cooling fan and thus the foodstuffs can be cooked.
During such a cooking period of time in which the foodstuffs are cooked, a message of elapse of the cooking period of time or a remaining cooking period of time is displayed on a recipe screen of a display unit of the microwave oven. When the cooking period of time according to the selected dish menu is lapsed, the message of the cooking completion is displayed on the screen of the display unit.
Such a conventional microwave oven will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a configuration for controlling a display screen of the conventional microwave oven.
First, the constitution of the conventional microwave oven will be described. The conventional microwave oven comprises a microcomputer 1 in which programs for operating the microwave oven are installed, an oscillation circuit 6 for supplying the microcomputer 1 with reference clock pulses so that the microcomputer 1 can execute the programs, and a power circuit 2 for supplying electric power to the microcomputer 1.
The conventional microwave oven further comprises a key input circuit 3 for allowing the user to input functions of the microwave oven the user wants, a display unit 4 for notifying the user to confirm contents inputted from the key input circuit 3 and an operation state of the microwave oven, and a relay control unit 5 for allowing the microcomputer 1 to operate the microwave oven in response to the contents inputted from the key input circuit 3.
A method for controlling the display screen of the conventional microwave oven constructed as such will be described below.
FIG. 2 shows the display screen for allowing the user to set a xe2x80x9cuser""s recipexe2x80x9d of the conventional microwave oven.
The user selects the xe2x80x9cuser""s recipe,xe2x80x9d which is displayed on a display screen as shown in a block 2-a of FIG. 2, through the key input circuit 3 to newly perform an arbitrary dish menu rather than dish menus that have been beforehand set in the microwave oven. A signal generated from a key selected by the user is inputted into the microcomputer 1. The microcomputer 1 controls a control signal, which corresponds to the function selected by the user, to be displayed onto the display unit 4. The display unit 4 displays a screen for setting a cooking period of time and cooking power, as shown in a block 2-b of FIG. 2, in response to the control signal of the microcomputer 1, so that the user can set the cooking period of time and the cooking power for the xe2x80x9cuser""s recipexe2x80x9d selected by the user.
At this time, the latest data set by the user are displayed on the xe2x80x9cuser""s recipexe2x80x9d display screen. The data displayed on the display screen can be set again by changing the cooking period of time and the cooking power through selection of a change key by the user.
Therefore, when the user selects the change key, a screen for allowing the user to newly input data is displayed. Accordingly, while viewing the display screen, the user can arbitrarily set the cooking period of time and the cooking power through the key input circuit 3 on a display screen shown in a block 2-c of FIG. 2.
After the cooking period of time is set in such a way, a start key provided in the key input circuit 3 is pressed on a display screen shown in a block 2-d of FIG. 2. When the user presses the start key, the microcomputer 1 receives a signal corresponding to the start key from the key input circuit 3, controls the signal, and outputs control signals to the relay control unit 5 and the display unit 4. Thus, the microwave oven is driven for the newly set cooking period of time in accordance with the newly set recipe data. Then, the display unit 4 of the microwave oven informs the user that the cooking in the microwave oven is in progress by displaying a screen shown in a block 2-e of FIG. 2 on the display unit.
However, there are several problems in the method for inputting new recipe data in the conventional microwave oven.
First, a new and arbitrary dish menu which the user has already set in the microwave oven was not stored therein. Therefore, there is an inconvenience in that the user should input the cooking period of time again whenever the same menu as beforehand set by the user is cooked. As a result, it is difficult to provide the user with the convenience of use of the microwave oven.
Furthermore, if the user does not remember the new and arbitrary dish menu that has been beforehand inputted by the user, there is a problem in that the user cannot correctly perform the recipe by using the microwave oven.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device and method for inputting recipe data in a microwave oven, wherein a user sets desired recipe data for performing cooking in the microwave oven and the recipe data set by the user are stored in the microwave oven so that the user can easily select the desired recipe in the future.
A device for inputting recipe data in a microwave oven for achieving the above object comprises a display unit for providing a recipe setting screen and a recipe name setting screen so that a user can set data on a new recipe; a recipe storage unit in which a new recipe setting screen that is set by the user in accordance with the recipe setting screen of the display unit is stored; a recipe name storage unit in which a new recipe name setting screen that is set by the user in accordance with the recipe name setting screen of the display unit is stored; and a microcomputer for controlling the display unit and the data stored in the storage units so that a new recipe name and the new recipe are displayed on the display unit upon request of the user.
Further, a method for inputting recipe data in a microwave oven according to the present invention comprises a selection step of selecting, by a user, a user""s recipe menu for adding data on a new recipe; a recognition step of recognizing, by the microwave oven, a selection signal corresponding to the selection of the user""s recipe menu; a display step of providing a recipe setting screen in response to the selection signal so that the user can set and check the new recipe; a recipe and recipe name data setting step of setting, by the user, data on the new recipe and a recipe name thereof in accordance with the setting screen provided in the display step; and a data storage step of storing values that are set in the setting step.